El Bulli. Per Se. The French Laundry. Just a few quaint spots where the chef here has cut her teeth. And
what you’re getting: Basque Country deliciousness in a knockout of a spot. (See the
slideshow.)

First-date territory, this. And there are a couple ways you can go. You can post up at the bar with one of
their five gin and tonics and watch your shrimp-and-mussel croquettes get prepped in the exposed kitchen
before you. But you can go formal, with a 36-hour roasted saddle of lamb laid out over a tablecloth in the
dining room.

And then there’s Lola. It’s a private dining room enclosed in glass barn doors that open up directly
into the kitchen. So you and nine friends have direct access to the chef.